AU2002100605B4 - Jagoda's hair brush and pet brush cleaner - Google Patents

Description

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JAGODA'S HAIR BRUSH AID PEF BRUSH CLEAI Field of the Invention THIS DrIMvTIF relates to a hand-held cleaner for removing hair tangles from bristles of a hair brush.

State of the Art Various designs of hair-brush cleaner have been proposed. United States Patent No.2564721 uses a rigid slotted blade of curved form which is drawn through the bristles to remove tangles. United States Patent No. 1381973 suggests the use of a fork having rigid tines for the same purpose.

Published International Publication No. WO 00/01272 proposes the use of resiliently-flexible wires having one set of ends cranked in the same direction, and having their other end-portions arranged in superimposed layers anchored in a rectangular slot provided in one end of a handle.

the wires in each plane extend parallel to one another but the two planes converge slightly so that their cranked ends lie in a single plati.

Object of the Invention An object of the invention is to provide an improved brush cleaner.

The Invention In accordance with the present invention a brush cleaner is formed by: two spaced parallel layers of resiliently-flexible wires; a handle which can be gripped between two fingers of one hand and which has the wires extending from one end; and, cranked free ends to said wires extending in the same general direction which is transverse to the planes of each of the layers of wires; in which cleaner the cranked free ends of the wires are arranged in two lines which are spaced from one another when the cleaner is not in use but flex together when the cleaner is being used.

The advantage of providing two sets of cranked ends rather than a single set of cranked ends to the wires as taught by the

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P/w 3vd *P:ti gO-Nnr-I 'S 0Beeso !NZINVU rH :Aa IN3S International Patent Application mentioned above, is that all of the cranked ends are temporarily flexed to engage the roots of the brisles being cleaned when the cleaner is being drawn along the brush surface from which the bristles extend. When the wires of the cleaner are removed from the surface their natural resilience causes their cranked ends to separate. This results in the spacing between the cranked ends being increased so that the removal of hair tangles from them is made easier.

Preferably the wires in each layer diverge from one another so thath the breath of the cleaner at the free-ends of the wires is greater than the end of the handle from which the wires extend.

Description of one embodiment of the invention.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of examples, with reference to accompanying drawing, in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a brush cleaner; FIGURE 2 is a side view of the cleaner of figure 1; FIGURE 3 is an second form of brush cleaner to that shown in figure 1; and, FIGURE 4 is a side view of the cleaner of figure 3.

In both examples of the invention the same reference numerals are used but those of the second example shown in figures 3 and 4 are primed.

The illustrated brush cleaner 1 of figures 1 and 2 has a handle 2 of circular cross-section and from the narrower end 3 of which extend two separate but parallel spaced layers 4 and 5 of resiliently flexible wires 6. The wires in each layer diverge from one another in a fan-like fashion as shown, so that the width of the cleaner at the free ends of the wires is substantially wider than the width of the handle 2 at the end from which the wires 6 extend.

The free end-portions 7 of the wires 6 are cranked in the same direction so that they lie in two lines when the wires 6 are in their relaxed states. When the cleaner is pressed against a surface of a hair brush from which the bristles extend, prior to be drawn through the bristles, the layer 5 adjacent the surface is flexed back towards the layer 4 so that the cranked end-portions of the wires now form two lines engaging the roots of the bristles, the two lines being spced from one another in the direction of the cleaning stroke.

The action of drawing the cranked ends of the wires 6 through the bristles is to free hair tangles from them. As the free end-portions of the wires are closely spaced, most of the hair strands and tangles are transferred from the bristles to the cranked end-portions of the wires. On completion of the cleaning movement of the cleaner along the brush surface, the cleaner is lifted and the natural resilience of the wires causes their cranked ends to separate from one another back into their two layers so that there is more spacing between them. It is then easier to remove hair tangles from the cleaner.

The second example of cleaner shown in figures 3 and 4 differs from that shown in figures 1 and 2 in that in the second example the width of the two layers at the free end of the cleaner is the same, whereas in the first example of cleaner the width of the layer of wires at the free end of the cleaner first to flex against a surface to be cleaned is less than the width of the other layer.

Claims (1)

1. 4. The Claims defining the Invention are as follows: 1. A brush cleaner formed by: two spaced parallel layers of resiliently flexible wires; a handle which can be gripped between two fingers of one hand and which has the wires extending from one end; and, cranked free ends to said wires extending in the same general direction which is transverse to the planes of the layers of wires; in which cleaner the cranked free ends of the wires are arranged in two lines which are spaced from one another when the cleaner is not in use but flex together when the cleaner is being used, 2Z. A cleaner as as claimed in claim 1, in which the lines are curved and the width of the cleaner at the free cranked ends of the wires is greater than the width of the handle from which the wires extend 3. A cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the end of the handle from which the wires emerge is of circular cross-section. 4. A cleaner as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the wires of one layer are staggered with respect to the wires of the other layer. A cleaner arranged and adapted to be used substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing. Dated this 4th. day of June 2003 UNLIMITED CONCEPTS INTERNATIONAL FTY. LTD. By: Applicant's Patent Attorney. V/t 3OVd VO-Nnr-v $O089no06 !NJZINVU rH :AU IN3S